My well-loved Banana Muffin recipe makes incredibly soft, moist muffins with tall, bakery-style tops, sweet banana flavor, and an optional streusel topping. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Your New Favorite Breakfast Muffin
Today I’m re-sharing one of my favorite muffin recipes on the blog, and apparently, it’s one of your favorites too! With nearly 500 five-star ratings, this banana muffin recipe is so well-loved–and for good reason. These aren’t bland, boring, or basic banana muffins; they’re fluffy, moist, and loaded with banana flavor! And if that’s not enough, I recommend topping them with a crumbly, buttery streusel topping…yum.
It took a lot of tries and tweaks to get this recipe just perfect, but it was well worth the trial and error. This recipe makes the softest, most flavorful banana muffin I’ve ever tasted–with or without the streusel on top–and I’m so proud to share it with you!
What Makes My Banana Muffin Recipe the BEST:
- It produces big, beautiful muffin tops, thanks to a nifty oven trick.
- They truly taste like banana muffins, not banana bread in muffin form.
- No mixer needed–these come together easily by hand!
- They take just 30 minutes from start to finish.
What You Need
I found I needed several key ingredients for super flavorful banana muffins:
- Three ripe bananas. Ripe bananas mash easier and impart a stronger banana flavor, so save this recipe for those dark brown bananas lingering at the bottom of your fruit basket (unlike the ones pictured above!).
- Butter and oil. We’re using a blend of both for the best flavored and textured banana muffin (same reason I use a blend of the two in my vanilla cake!). Stick with a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or grapeseed, and make sure your butter is unsalted.
- Sugar. Using some brown sugar gives the muffins a rich flavor that granulated alone wouldn’t provide.
- Buttermilk. This keeps the muffins nice and moist. If you’re low on buttermilk, give my easy buttermilk substitute a try!
SAM’S TIP: Overmixing your batter can lead to muffins that are too tough and dense. To avoid this, I strongly recommend stirring your banana muffin batter completely by hand. Luckily, we’re using melted butter in this recipe, so mixing by hand is a breeze!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Banana Muffins
- Mash your bananas, then add the oil and melted butter.
- Stir in the sugar, then add the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.
- Combine your dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gently fold them into the wet ingredients.
- Portion the batter into a paper-lined muffin tin, filling each liner is ¾ of the way full.
- Prepare your streusel, if using, and portion over each muffin.
- Bake your muffins for 8 minutes, then reduce the temperature and bake for another 7-8 minutes until done.
SAM’S TIP: While I personally love and recommend the streusel topping, I know not everyone wants the extra sugar or dishes. As you can see, the “naked” banana muffin pictured below baked up beautifully with an even tidier, higher muffin top. So feel free to skip it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, although I do have a separate banana nut muffin recipe you might want to try (it uses browned butter too 🤤). You can add between 1-1½ cups of add-ins (chocolate chips work well!) to this banana muffin recipe. I recommend adding them when you’re almost done incorporating the dry ingredients.
Yes! To do this, you’ll follow the same instructions I provide for my bakery-style chocolate chip muffins:
Bake at 425F for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350F (don’t open the door!) and continue baking until the muffins begin to turn golden brown. This can take anywhere from 7-15 minutes, so keep an eye on them!
This banana muffin recipe freezes very well! In fact, I did this in preparation for Luke’s arrival so I always had a quick breakfast handy during his newborn phase.
If you want want to freeze yours, allow them to cool completely, wrap individually in plastic wrap, place in a Ziploc bag, and freeze. To thaw, either set your muffins out at room temperature or microwave them (just use the defrost setting or they’ll become hard).
So, do you agree? Is this the BEST banana muffin recipe? Let me know in the comments!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
The Best Banana Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (385 g) well-mashed ripe bananas This is typically 3 large bananas for me
- ¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil or canola oil (may substitute vegetable or avocado oil)
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled at least 5 minutes
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar tightly packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Streusel (optional)
- ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F (220C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners*
- Place peeled bananas in a large bowl and use a fork or a potato masher to mash them – bananas should be well-mashed.1 ½ cups (385 g) well-mashed ripe bananas
- Add oil and melted butter and stir well.¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil or canola oil, ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter
- Stir in sugars until well-combined.½ cup (100 g) sugar, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and stir well. Set aside.2 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add dry ingredients to your wet batter and gently fold in until ingredients are just combined (don't over-mix the batter!).
- Portion batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each liner ¾ of the way full. Set aside and prepare your Streusel topping.
Streusel Topping (optional)
- Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and use a fork to stir the ingredients together.½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Using a pastry cutter, cut in your cold butter until the butter is well-worked in and your mixture resembles coarse crumbs.¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, cold
- Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over each muffin.
- Bake muffins on 425F (218C) for 8 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 (175C) (do not open the oven door or remove the muffins, just leave them in and reduce the temperature) and bake another 7-8 minutes on 350F (177C). A toothpick inserted in the center of the largest muffin should come out clean or with few moist crumbs (no wet batter) to test for doneness.
- Allow muffins to cool before enjoying.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This recipe was originally published 01/05/2018. Updated with more information and better photos 10/17/2019.
Joyce
I made a few substitutes: milk for coconut milk and canola oil for avocado oil. They still came out ahhhhmazing!!!!!! Best ever!!! Thanks!!!!
Kelly
This is a five star recipe! These muffins are moist, light, fluffy, and oh so flavorful! I was lucky enough to have 6 very ripe bananas, so I made a double batch. I did make a few additions/substitutions; I added a teaspoon of cinnamon, I used white whole wheat flour, to one batch I added some leftover blueberries (yum!), and I topped my muffins with chopped walnuts and whole oats.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them, Kelly!! 🙂
Michele Wells
I thought these were excellent, both the moist texture and the flavor! Bringing them on our RV trip, that will be the real test. Am sure they will be a hit.🤗
Sam
I’m so glad you liked them, Michele!! 🙂
DomesticDiva
Sooo, Delicious… I cannot wait to make this into banana bread. I tweaked the recipe a bit, as I usually do. Had to make my own buttermilk. And I used more brown sugar than regular. The bananas are sweet already. And I had to add chocolate chips. White and chocolate also added peanut butter chips. To dry ingredients I also added a bit of ground ginger. This is definitely my go to from now on. Next time will try it with applesauce instead of oil. But it’s wonderful. Thank you for the recipe. I love it, I’m sure kids and hubby Will devour them. I did half the batch with streusal and half plain. Plain was insanely delish….
Helene
I made these muffins forntye 1st time and they are THE BEST banana muffin/cake I ever made.
I am keeping this recipe for ever! It is now my default go to banana muffin recipe!
Sam
I am so thrilled to hear that you love them, Helene! 🙂
Gina
I’ve tried many recipes for banana muffins. This one is my kid’s favorite. Delicious!
Sam
So glad to hear everyone enjoyed! 🙂
Mirna Pena
Wow! These are exactly what I was looking for! Kudos!
Tiana Moore
Can you use wheat flour?
Sam
I haven’t tried it to know for sure, sorry Tiana!
Jenny
I’m baking these muffins right now and my house smells like heaven. Holy crap. I cannot wait. Thank you for sharing!
Jenny
… now my mouth is heaven. This is an AMAZING recipe. Particularly because I cannot have cinnamon or other similar spices — they give me migraines! OHHHHH YAY.
Sam
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them, Jenny!!
Kinze
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who has issues with cinnamon and other spices giving me migraines! These banana muffins are to die for!!
Cheryl James
I just may these muffins . They just melt in you mouth.
Sam
So glad you enjoyed them, Cheryl! 🙂
Marnae
Just FYI, I did make these as mini muffins and they turned out great! I greased the pans with cooking spray, and baked at 425 for 5 min. and then 350 for 6-7 min. It made 44 muffins. I also subbed lite sour cream for buttermilk because that is what I had on hand. Great recipe, thank you!
Stephanie Meyer
I’d like to make these as mini muffins but I’m not sure how long to bake at the 2 different temperatures.
Sam
Hi Stephanie! Unfortunately I’m not sure either as I have never made these mini, but I think I would start with 5 minutes at the higher temperature and then maybe just another 8-10 minutes on the lower temperature, but keep an eye on them and check them as I am just guessing.
Lisa
Hi, Sam! These muffins are something magical! I baked them yesterday and they have changed my life! But mine are sticky, even thought they are cooked thoroughly. What have I done wrong?
Sorry for my bad english 🙂
Barbara Nelson
Can you make this in a 9×13 dish as more of a banana bread cake.
Sam
I haven’t tried it in a pan, but I don’t think it should be a problem (though cook-time would vary). If you’re looking for a banana cake recipe I do have one already that’s made in a 9×13 dish, in case that helps!
Liz
This is a great recipe! The only thing I did differently is I added a bit of cinnamon to the streusel topping…they were fantastic! My son is a banana fanatic and he absolutely loved them…thanks so much, definitely gonna keep this recipe!❤️